Abstract

Steam distillation of Dysoxylum richii (A. Gray) C.D.C. fruits gave a greenish coloured oil in 0.19% yield while Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn. leaves gave a yellow oil in 0.02 % yield. The composition of the essential oils was determined by the use of capillary gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The oil from Dysoxylum richii fruits was found to be rich in sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (58 %) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (35 %). The major components of the oil are δ-cadinene (20.4%), germacrene-D (16.6%) and cadinol isomers (21%). The classes of compounds detected in the leaf oil of Synedrella nodiflora were aliphatic alcohols, monoterpenes, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated sesquiterpenes. The major components of this oil are β-caryophyllene, β-farnesene, germacrene-D and β-cubebene.